Rex Regis
by Lil Mexican
Summary: Now that the winter war was over, new problems arise. Ichigo must confront the past he had hoped to outrun and take up the mantle of the person he loathes to become. He had been told from birth, he exists so others may live.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all, just a quick intro. This story will take place before the 1,000 year blood war. Perhaps I will get to it but I am not sure quite yet. Thanks for reading. And if anyone knows latin and wants to correct my possibly horrid translation I thank you.**

 ***This chapter was edited, general content stayed the same. Only added more detail.***

* * *

 ** _Rex Regis_**

 ** _(Regal King)_**

Urahara Kisuke sat quietly in his home as he sipped his tea. Across from him Tessai sat, though his cup remained untouched. There were no words, only a pondering of the feeling of dread that had sunk to the bottom of their bellies. They had been up or several hours, unable to sleep with such a feeling clawing at them. The blond man sighed, glancing over at the clock to see that it was already 3 AM.

"Perhaps, it is just a false alarm?" Came a quiet murmur from Tessai, his voice giving no sign of his wariness.

"No, you were correct to stay awake."

Both men jolted up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, the blond gripped his cane tightly as he rounded on the person who had somehow managed to sneak up on _him_. Beside him Tessai stood rigid, disbelief wafting off of him in waves. Urahara was sure he too looked dumbfounded.

In front them stood a young boy, his white hair hung in front of his face and his skin was so pale, it nearly blended in with his limp locks. The boy's stance was relaxed, his dark orange hakama slightly dirty and his feet bare. His haori though, a lighter shade of orange, was in pristine condition.

Without missing a beat Urahara sprung his fan up from within his robes, fanning himself as he spoke. Still, he didn't miss how fine the child's clothing was.

"Why hello there….hollow-san?" But even as he said it he knew he was wrong. He could not find any traces of the child's reiatsu nor could he see a hollow hole. This was no ordinary boy, but he still didn't rule hollow completely out. He could have been an arrancar for all he knew. He was also better off if the child assumed he was no genius.

The boy tilted his head to the side, somehow examining them both even with his hair covering his eyes.

"I mean you both no harm," the blond shopkeeper chuckled in his head slightly, there was something funny about a boy thinking he was a threat. But then again… Urahara narrowed his eyes, he did manage to catch them both off guard.

"I simply wish to speak with you Kisuke Urahara, but before I introduce myself you must swear you will never speak of this to anyone besides Isshin and Masaki Kurosaki. But, I will also be present at that time."

Tessai glanced over at his longtime companion wondering what the curious shop keeper would do. He himself was at a loss.

"Tessai, if you don't mind, would you please make a new batch of tea for our guest?"

With a nod Tessai hurried off, taking a last glance at the boy who was now 'looking' around the light green room curiously.

"Shall we?" The blond gestured towards the low lying table, waiting for his guest to walk over and sit before he got comfortable.

"Now then, what is it you wish to speak about?" With a click, the shop owner snapped his fan shut and placed a small smile on his face.

"Do not take me for a fool Kisuke, I have yet to hear your oath of silence." Came the boy's curt reply. He sat in perfect seiza, unmoving as he looked towards the blonde's general direction.

A chuckle escaped the older man as he nodded in approval. "Very well, I swear that I will not speak of this to anyone… unless it causes or can cause harm to anyone I care about." There was a long silence as they both sat. Neither moving even as Tessai came back with the tea. It was only when the taller man sat down did the young boy speak again.

"Very well, I cannot fault you for that," he glanced over at the taller man. "Thank you Tessai." A nod was all he received. Again, he started.

"I am running Urahara Kisuke. My reasons are selfish but I do not believe they will bring harm to anyone." He paused and raised his pale arm, hesitating for just a moment before brushing his bleached hair away from his eyes. A strangled cry escaped Kisuke's lips as his eyes widened to an impossible degree. Next to him, Tessai fared no better.

There they sat, looking at the royal purple eyes that bore into them from across the table. But it wasn't just his glowing purple orbs that made them gasp, appearances could be deceiving after all. Instead what had caused their reaction was the small release of reiatsu that the young boy let out.

"My name is Ichigo, heir of all that lies in the Royal Realm."

If one were to drop a needle in the room, it would have broken the absolute silence. Urahara and Tessai didn't even dare to breathe. Ichigo paused, considering their looks before fishing in his haori sleeve for something he had brought just in case. Being the man he is, Urahara leaned forward earnestly, his gaze intent on finding out what the young man had brought. Withdrawing his hand, Ichigo placed a small crown the pulsed with reiatsu on the low table.

"…Denka."

An immediate scowl marred the boy's face as he waved off the honorific.

"If I wished to be pampered Tessai, I would have stayed with my retainers" That snapped Urahara back to reality, his mind reeling and once more taking comfort from his favorite fan.

"My, my, I never would have thought of this." He paused as a serious look settled on his face. "I am at your service denka."

The scowl deepened on the child's face as he glared at Kisuke. Huffing he schooled his features into a calm mask and continued to speak.

"I thank you. Now then, the reason I am here," he paused glancing over at the blond once more, "I do not wish to be royalty. I have no will in the Royal Realm, I have no friends. They are all scared of me you see, and-" The young boy swallowed, glancing down at his hands that lay comfortable on his lap.

"And I hear you can make false bodies. I've actually known for a while but… but then I heard of a shinigami who left to the mortal world to be with the woman he loved. It is selfish of me, but this was my chance. I-I wanted someone who I could call family." There was a pregnant pause as Tessai and Urahara glanced at one another. They knew the life of a noble was not all it seemed, they couldn't imagine royalty.

"Well then… since I see no danger of the Spirit King dying any time In the near future, I suppose I will help you." Ichigo looked up, his purple eyes wide as a slow smile crept on to his face. "But," his features fell, waiting for the verbal blow that was sure to come.

"If I help you denka-not like I have a choice- how will I know that I and the ones that I care for will not be punished for helping in your… plans."

Ichigo paused, pondering the question. "Urahara Kisuke, you will suppress my memories. I ask that you use kido to do so for I know you have that ability." He paused, smirking as he saw Urahara's bemused look. "And in the case that the world is ever in peril, or that you are found out, then release my memories. And with the full powers I possess as prince I will not let harm befall you." Ichigo placed a tiny fist to his heart and gave a slight bow.

"This I swear on my father's throne."

Once again, silence settled over the tiny room. Outside the wind howled, rattling the door slightly.

"If I may ask… why is it you feel you have no true family?" The orange clad boy blinked at the unexpected question, then sighed.

"I am nothing more than a successor Kisuke, born of my father's power and will. I have no mother, and the being that sits upon the throne is no father. He is not a mean man, but… he is like no being I know. His work has consumed him, and… I fear of taking the throne should he ever fall. I fear becoming like him."

"Then I will help you Ichigo." There was no hesitance in Urahara's reply. The boy smiled, and glanced at the man who gave him such sad eyes.

"I'm sure you will have plenty of time to enjoy life how a child should. You must not fear, all will be well."

To Ichigo, that was the most personal way anyone had ever spoken to him. With a strained smile, Ichigo bowed to him. " _Thank you._ "

"Alright then! Let's get started shall we?"

"But wat of Isshin and Masaki, boss?"

Kisuke glanced over at Ichigo as they started to stand up. "Ichigo, it is better they not know. I will do as you asked but I wish to keep them out of this particular part if only for their safety. They plan on starting a family, and I don't want them to treat you any different just because you are royalty. Also," He glanced down at the prince, placing a gentle hand on his tiny shoulder.

"I will just tell them I found you, I am not father material after all and they will accept you without a doubt." Suddenly an evil glint came to Kisuke's eye.

"Very well, but Kisuke," A serious gaze fell over Ichigo's eyes. "The hollow that resides within Masaki, I want it out. If you must, you are free to place it in me." It was said with such finality that Urahara simply nodded. He would find a way.

"Say, Ichigo. Would orange happen to be your favorite color?" The topic change was abrupt enough that the young prince, completely missing the look, nodded. It took visible effort for Kisuke not to smirk as he walked away, the others trailing behind.

"I will place you to sleep, and make a gigai for you, and when you wake up, you will have a family. And that will be all you have ever known."

 **R_R**

Urahara stared at Ichigo who sat upon a rock, gazing out towards the trees. It was never meant to be this way. His eyes slid over to the seal that now housed Aizen and then back to the young man. The Final Getsuga had been used, and unfortunately, the shop keeper didn't know how it would affect the seal on Ichigo's powers and mind. If it were to break… there would be devastating consequences for anyone that stood too close.

Glancing towards the sky, the shop keeper let out a long sigh. It seemed nothing could ever go as planned. And unfortunately for him, there was no way he could have made a backup plan for the young prince. Yes he had manipulated the boy later in his life to help his own cause even as Ichigo tried to save his friend, but even then he knew he had no choice. In a way, the world was at stake. As he absently stared at the passing clouds doubt began to creep into his mind. Would he be forgiven? Surly the young prince knew what he was getting into by seeking Urahara out in the first place! Or maybe he trusted him enough to be honest to him.

He pursed his lips in thought, there was no way of telling. He would face the consequences when they came. Maybe then he cou-

Urahara's train of thought ended abruptly as the faintest pulse of reiatsu leaked from the teen that was no more than 12 feet away. Snapping his head to his left he gazed at the young man who was also lost in thought. Eyes narrowing, he turned around and said nothing for a brief moment.

"Ichigo" he stated, walking towards the young man that didn't even turn to acknowledge him. "Let me check your wounds." A breeze wafted through the clearing they were at as Ichigo twisted his body around.

Honey brown eyes caught Urahara's attention as the orange haired teen glanced back towards him. For an instant, purple replaced brown and then flickered away. Kisuke froze, his eyes widening as he dashed forward grabbing Ichigo's arm and forcing him to lay down on the rock he sat upon. This couldn't be happening… Not now.

Truly it was far too soon! It should have held longer! Only direct manipulation would have… Kisuke's eyes widened in horror.

"Urahara what-"

"Not now Ichigo!" Immediately the orange haired teen quieted, never hearing such a tone come from the man. Instead he watched with wide eyes as a green light shrouded the blonde's hands which were placed on his temples. Within seconds the light died away.

"Ichigo we have to go to soul society _now_!"

"What's going on!?" Without as much as an explanation Urahara flung Ichigo over his shoulder and shunpoed to where he felt Unohana's reiatsu come from. On the other and, Ichigo was nervous. Never before had he seen Urahara move with such haste. Even when Ichigo lay in a pool of his own blood, the blonde man would simply waltz over as if he had all the time in the world. Now though, with nothing obvious happening, Ichigo was starting to question the man's sanity in hopes of him actually just being a nut job. But he knew better, Urahara was no fool. It was just a pretense so he wouldn't panic any more than he already was.

The wind burned against Ichigo's face as he was carried. Even with his own shunpo it didn't hurt that much. As Ichigo was about to open his mouth to retort, a sharp, jabbing pain exploded behind his eyes causing him to stiffen in pain. A strangled cry escaped his lips and the only indication that Kisuke heard him was the slight tightening of his grip on the teen.

"WAIT!" Kisuke yelled for all he was worth, dashing forward as he saw the last person go through the senkaimon. He almost didn't make it, but in the nick of time he slipped through with Ichigo still on his shoulder. Silently, he was grateful for all those games of tag Yoruichi had forced him to partake in. Quickly balancing himself he faced the captain of the fourth.

Unohana turned around, surprised at his appearance but motioned the others to continue forward.

"I need to get Ichigo to the first division immediately!" No questions asked, Unohana merely nodded and began ahead with shunpo towards the shoji doors on the other side, her captains' coat billowing wildly around her. Urahara understood he was being escorted and wasted no time following after the woman. It was not that he didn't know the way, but no one would dare go up against Unohana. He was still technically exiled after all. And anything that would help make this trip easier was a blessing. On his shoulder Ichigo let out another cry of pain, clutching his head as he tried to fold in on himself. Urahara was unprepared for the squirming and nearly dropped the boy, forcing him to use both his hands to keep his cargo secured. Even then he didn't miss a beat. Keeping pace with Unohana as they approached the blinding light towards the end.

"Just a little longer Ichigo!" If possible, the duo sped up even more, Unohana shooting back a quick look of concern before facing forward once more. If it was something she could heal, then Urahara wouldn't have wasted any time. Finally, they made it through the gate and neither wasted any time rushing towards the first division barracks.

Up ahead Ukitake and Kyoraku walked side-by-side, engaging each other in hushed tones. The black haired captain rushed past them, startling then as they gazed after her. Just as Urahara approached Ukitake spun around, taking in the situation.

"Urahara what-"

"Ukitake, please bring the soutaicho at once!" Urahara called to the white haired male as he continued flash stepping for all he was worth.

The white haired captain looked stunned for a moment, his hair whipping around his face as the blonde passed him. With a glance towards his long time best friend he flashed away, intent on finding the soutaicho. After all, Unohana wouldn't be in such a hurry if it wasn't the upmost importance.

"Urahara, what is wrong with him?" Unohana threw over her shoulder as she heard Ichigo, who had started to scream in agony. She winced in sympathy as a particularly grueling sound left him.

"A seal is breaking! If it is released and we are not in the reiatsu suppression chamber of the first division, then lives could be at risk!" That was all he would say for now. It was all that was needed. After all, how could he tell her he was carrying the prince of the spirit realm? Grey eyes glanced at his cargo and a wave of guilt flooded over him. He should have known. Somehow, Aizen had a way of outsmarting him. But there was no way… he couldn't know…

"I am so sorry Ichigo." Murmured the green clad man. Steeling his resolve, he continued. Those were thoughts for later. And in due time, he would get his answers.

Finally, blessedly, they made it to the first division. The looming towers reaching towards the heavens in a simple yet elegant design. Not a moment was spared as they barged through, behind them they could feel the soutaicho and his two former pupils closing in. No one asked questions, Ichigo's agonized screams enough to get them to trust him for once. If anything, it would take Urahara a bit to regain hearing on his right ear.

After rushing through the maze that was the first division, a set of giant double doors were finally found. They loomed high, reaching towards the ceiling that was at least 25 feet above Kisuke's head.

Just as Unohana touched the doors to the chamber, a hiss of surprise left her as a guarding kido crackles against her skin. Without missing a beat the soutaicho murmured something under his breath and they all rushed in.

"I cannot ask you to stay, it's too dangerous! I don't know what will happen to Ichigo once the seal is released nor can I assure your safety!" There was no reply from the captains, instead, they lined up against a far wall as Ukitake slammed the door closed.

"Barrier then!" Without a moment's notice, an orange barrier surrounded Ichigo and Urahara as he placed the boy gently but quickly in the middle of the massive room. As fast as he could, the blond placed his pointer finger on Ichigo's temple and with a grunt, slowly released his reiatsu into the seal that he had planted years ago. There was a pause as Ichigo stilled, his back arched off the ground.

"Open!" A split second after Urahara left the barrier, a violent tremor rocked the wooden floor as black reiatsu filled the space inside of the glowing box.

Next to him, Unohana closed her eyes in concentration as she tried to reinforce the kido that kept the wild energy at bay.

"Urahara Kisuke!" The man didn't even flinch, all his attention was focused on the barrier as he watched Unohana strained. Slowly, small cracks formed and faster than they could be fixed. A crunch was heard and Urahara cried out.

"Brace yourselves!" With a gasp Unohana's barrier shattered.

Never in all his life had the head captain witnessed such a thing. Never had he felt such daunting _power_. Around him his senior captains were on their knees, their gasps for air adding to the sound of whipping reiatsu. Slowly but surely they fell even lower, their eyes wide as they succumbed to the force of the spiritual pressure that just kept rising. And when the three captains that were around him were prostrated on their bellies, slowly, Yamamoto too fell. His eyes were narrowed as he fell on his knee, squinting past the lashing reiatsu to take a glance at the boy currently wreaking havoc on his officers. He refused to go any lower, his pride demanded he stay upright.

Then, there was a pause. The reiatsu that was so impossibly high stopped and as quickly as it came, it receded back down, tightly restrained. Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, Kurosaki had no such control. And the reiatsu that he felt… His eyes widened. It couldn't be!

As his captains righted themselves and sucked in much needed air, he strode forward, cane banging loudly against the ground as he leaned on it still. He was intent on finding out just what had happened.

"Wait! Soutaicho!" Urahara called out with a gasp, struggling to stand and move forward after the man. He was in for it now, he could see. Because just as he called out to him, he saw the oldest soul reaper in existence stiffen. As quickly as he could, Kisuke stood, ignoring the dizzy spell in favor of rushing to Ichigo's side. But as his vision cleared he stopped short. He saw it was too late for there Ichigo lay in all his royal glory. His bleached locks hung over his face as he lay still. His white skin a stark contrast against his torn, black robes.

Grey eyes glanced towards the head captain, nervous that the man had yet to move, but still very aware of the death grip that was on the soutaicho's cane. Gasps from behind him broke the silence.

"….Kisuke." Said man gulped. Setting his jaw, he glanced again towards the soutaicho who was staring at him with such rage he nearly flinched. Instead, he opted for pulling out his fan, hiding his face and nervousness. He didn't miss the rising temperature either.

Judging from the confused reiatsu from behind, only the old man knew who Ichigo truly was. Just as he was about to speak up in hopes of easing the situation, a groan from the center of the room caught the undivided attention of every person there. With a final glare at Urahara, Yamamoto started forward and began helping Ichigo sit up. Ukitake and Kyoraku furrowed their brows, unused to seeing such a display from their mentor.

"Yama-jii?" The pink clad man questioned, taking a step forward.

No response. Then they too strode forward, though Urahara hung back, unwilling to be close to the fiery reiatsu that was leaking from the soutaicho.

Of all the things that man could have done. Yamamoto clenched is teeth as he made sure the young prince was alright. After all, it was his sworn duty to protect all that resided in the soul society. And most importantly, it was his duty to protect the royal family. He clenched his fist, cursing Urahara as he was once more filled with rage after making sure the young teen was well. This entire time, he had known. He had known and deliberately… The boy had nearly _died_. And even though Yamamoto had no way of knowing, he took the responsibility. It was his sworn duty! He should have known! No human could have…

He closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"Denka" Once again, all the occupants of the room froze. Urahara for different reasons than the others but he froze nonetheless.

The sight of seeing Yamamoto kneel to anyone was rare and nearly nonexistent. For Urahara, it was his first.

"…Denka…?" Jushiro's eyes were impossibly wide his mouth agape as he openly stared at the young man he knew as Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Impossible" Kyoraku whispered. His usual lazy attitude was immediately discarded as he stood up straight to look at the scene before him. But even as he stared, there was no way to deny it. The soutaicho bowed to no one.

"Thanks gramps…" Ichigo murmured as the old man helped him on his feet. He paused, taking everything in around him. He extended his reiatsu slightly, feeling around the room and nodding in approval of where he was. Beside him, he could feel the smoldering reiatsu of the soutaicho. And if he hadn't regained his memories of who he truly was, then maybe he would have run for the hills. But as it was, he had a friend to protect.

His eyes landed on Kisuke who remained unchanged from all those years ago. He was still clad in that awful, green attire. Just as he was about to speak, the soutaicho had his flaming sword at the blonde's throat.

"Urahara Kisuke, give me one good reason why I should not kill you for treason of the highest order here and now!" Wide, grey eyes glanced over at Ichigo who simply smiled and placed a now pale fist over his heart.

"All is well Yamamoto." At once the burning sword was removed from Kisuke's neck and the blond sighed in relief. Yamamoto continued to glare. He would not question Ichigo, not yet. But until he could have a proper discussion with the young prince it was not in his power to carry out anything Ichigo did not approve of. With a knuckle white grip on his cane, the soutaicho stepped to the side.

Ichigo let his smile die down as he sighed heavily. There was already trouble it seemed. He glanced at the ancient man from the corner of his eyes. It was fair he supposed. He did take his job seriously after all.

"It seems I got my wish…" The now white haired teen trailed off. And what a journey it had been. With a half-hearted smile, Ichigo raised his head.

Royal purple eyes met steel grey.

"It's been a while, Kisuke."

* * *

 **Well, I sure do hope you guys enjoyed that. If you did please review, I'd like to hear any ideas you guys have and any of your comments are welcomed.**

 **I would like to thank my amazing beta** **ShiroHichi891!**

 **I usually work on a piece depending on how many reviews I get. No point writing something others wont enjoy I think. After all, I already know the ending haha.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to those that reviewed and followed/favorited the story! Now if you would please, more reviews would be nice since this chapter is a tad long! CC is also welcomed! And questions!**

 **This chapter is a giant foreshadow so read carefully and you might get some clues!**

* * *

 **Rex Regis**

Ichigo sat in perfect seiza at a low, rectangular table in the soutaicho's study. He was at one end while the ancient shinigami was at the other. To his right, Kisuke was slightly hunched over, lightly gripping a cup of tea as he stared off into the distance. His striped hat cast a shadow over his face, but it didn't quite hide his eyes. Ichigo had no doubt that the man had a plot already forming in his head. And like it or not, he knew that he would probably find out just what kind of scheme he was concocting.

His purple eyes slid over to the woman that was sitting next the blonde. Not a single hair was out of place in her long braid as it hung between her breasts. Her head was slightly bowed and her eyes were closed. The only indication that she found this meeting rather…odd was the slight furrow in her brow. The white haired teen shifted his gaze to his left, silently observing the captains of the eighth and thirteenth. They too sat perfectly still, both eyeing the soutaicho, waiting for him to speak.

A frown marred Ichigo's face as he considered the situation. The soutaicho had wasted no time ushering them all to his study. Well, more like sneaking them to his study. Ichigo noticed how he avoided any crowded paths and how he continually flared his reiatsu to deter and of the weaker shinigami in the vicinity. If he didn't know any better, he wouldn't have noticed. That is to say, if he hadn't regained his memories he wouldn't have even thought about it twice.

He did know better though. His life as a prince was comfortable, but it was also filled with too many lessons to count. Strategy being one of course. He could see the advantage of keeping his newly discovered identity hidden. Especially since Aizen had yet to be fully secured. If Ichigo had to guess, the man was probably being judged by central forty-six at this very moment for his actions.

Once again, he looked around. No one had moved. They all seemed so stiff and formal. Even Urahara blended into the scene quite nicely. Which was saying something considering his state of dress. That shade of green was not subtle when surrounded with black and white attire.

Ichigo couldn't judge though, he too was being…uptight; formal. The frown on his face deepened. The memories of his life as a prince were at the forefront of his mind and that was not the life he wanted to lead. He wanted to continue being Ichigo Kurosaki, hot tempered and loud mouthed. Most of all, he wanted that blissful freedom that came with it. Ichigo paused, furrowing his brow as he once again looked around at the room's occupants. Who would stop him?

With a shrug, which caught the attention of those in the room, he leaned back and moved his legs out from under him. Laying down on the light oak floor, he used his hands as a cushion for his head as he released a long sigh. He would have some soul searching to do it seemed. He was Ichigo Kurosaki, former human with friends and family, but now he had hundreds of years of as a prince to add to the mix. It was like taking a giant leap that thrust him straight into adulthood with all the responsibilities that came with it. He didn't have the innocence of a child anymore, so he was willing to just try and be himself, whoever that now was. Manners be damned.

"So…what's up?" A suppressed chuckle left Urahara as he took a sip of his tea, making a face when he realized it was cold. In front of him the soutaicho had opened one eye to look down at him.

"Denka is right soutaicho. Perhaps it is best we started this meeting?" A serene smile was plastered on Unohana's face, her eyes remained closed.

"Very well," he paused and cracked open both of his eyes to stare at the white haired boy. "Perhaps from the beginning, denka?"

A heavy sigh left the prince, his eyes rolling in exasperation as he sat up. He crossed his legs and placed his elbow on the table to lazily support his head in his hand.

"Just Ichigo is fine." The soutaicho said nothing. To his left, Ukitake smiled at him and nodded.

"Alright, Ichigo." At least someone would treat him the same. He should have known that he could count on the white haired captain to do so. With a slight upward tilt of his lips he began.

"There's not much to explain. I went to Urahara, asked him to repress my memories, lived with the Kurosa-," he cut himself off and frowned, "my _family_ ," he emphasized, "And that's that. You know the rest."

Next to Jushiro, Kyoraku grinned and leaned back, tilting his hat slightly up to smile better at the young man. "Not very descriptive I see."

Ichigo scowled, "Like I said, not much to tell."

Everyone besides Ichigo turned to Urahara.

With a click, the blonde's fan was out flapping in front of his face. Still, his smile was wide.

"That's not very nice. Just because you couldn't get the answers out of him doesn't mean you should interrogate me." A gust of hot air worked its way through the windowless chamber.

"Hm, maybe air conditioning could do this place some good!" The heat only intensified.

Just as Kisuke was about to speak again, Ichigo leaned over and innocently flicked the man on the shoulder, anticipating his annoyance at the prick of pain. What he did not anticipate was the cry of pain that was ripped from the blonde man as he was flung several feet away, smacking into Unohana in the process. A resounding crack echoed throughout the room as Ichigo stared wide-eyed at where the green clad man had landed. The area where his head had met the floor was splintered. Unohana, who had also been knocked away from the table, sat up with a slightly dazed expression on her face.

"What-," Ichigo gaped in horror, quickly snatching his hand back as he jumped several feet away, back pressing against a far wall. He glanced down at his palm, only seeing normal white skin stare back at him. There wasn't even the slightest suggestion that he had accidentally let lose some of his reiatsu into that simple flick. Granted it was harder to suppress than when he had been younger. Looking up his eyes locked with the soutaicho, desperately seeing someone who could possibly explain wat was going on with him. But it seemed that the man was just as surprised as he was.

"I'll consider that payback for all the times I tried to run you through with a sword, Ichigo." Kisuke spoke as he slowly sat up, rubbing his head slightly before attempting to massage his shoulder, hissing when he touched the bruising skin.

"What's going on!?" Ichigo's expression made Urahara pause. He met the teen's wide purple eyes and gave him a slight smile.

"It's alright, Ichigo. Come sit." Ichigo didn't move away from the wall and Urahara sighed as he returned to his prior spot at the table, Unohana in tow.

"I have a theory, but I can't be too sure. Especially when it comes to people of your linage. But I will try to explain." He motioned for Ichigo to come over who was still extremely hesitant to move from his position. Eventually he sat back down, keeping his limbs close to himself. This did not go unnoticed by the room's occupants.

"You see Ichigo, you are used to wielding far less strength than what you have now. If your powers weren't suppressed as they have been for years, then you would have grown up getting used to your powers as they developed." The blonde paused, examining Ichigo as if he needed confirmation for his next theory.

"You trained in the Dangai for three months. Did you notice that you've kept the appearance from your time spent there?" A sheepish smile crossed Ichigo's face.

"Actually, I didn't exactly get the chance to look in the mirror when I was fighting Aizen" he muttered. Kisuke's lips twitched in amusement, his fan beating slightly faster.

"Anyhow, it's safe to assume that your power remained the same as when you left the Dangai," another pause. "You don't feel it, do you?" Ichigo shook his head as his eyebrows furrowed.

"But it was like that when I was fighting Aizen, I couldn't feel the difference then either" he stated, glancing at everyone in the room before laying his eyes back on Urahara. "What's that supposed to mean?" He may have been the prince of the afterlife, but he was far from holding the answers to every inquiry.

With a snap, Kisuke's fan slapped shut. His heavy gaze landed on Ichigo as he continued, "When the seal broke, it replenished the power you had lost from using the final Getsuga Tensho and then some. Nothing in this world could ever rid _you_ of your reiatsu. But," He paused and took a sip of his tea, swirling the liquid around in its cup, "When that power was replaced by your reserves, which had years to be built up behind the seal, you were bound to lose control of your reiatsu when it broke. That was the reason why your reiatsu swirled around so violently. There was so much of it that it had to be used up in a different way."

The room was silent. Ichigo and the captains stared at the shop keeper with a mixture of different expressions. Awe, fear, disapproval, and resignation.

"But why can't I control it now? Why can't I even feel how much energy I use!?" His voice rose to a near shout towards the end as he clenched his fist next to his sides, still not daring to touch anyone or anything.

Urahara let out a tired sigh, his eyes closed for a short moment before he spoke again.

"You're on a different level than us, Ichigo. To you it might not seem like a lot, but to us it could have devastating consequences." Here Kisuke paused, unsure if he should finish.

"But like I said, it will only continue to grow further, what you did to me with that simple flick could have been a lot worse. If you hadn't been suppressing what reiatsu you could, then it was likely that my arm would have simply disintegrated from the contact."

"Ichigo, when you fought Aizen you didn't have a single clue as to how to suppress your reiatsu. If you had made physical contact with anyone other than Aizen, then they would have also disintegrated at your touch. That is another reason why I was there." Grey eyes bore into Ichigo as he continued.

"You are our prince, but to me you are a beloved student that I would not like to see fall into despair had you ever accidentally killed any of your loved ones." The room returned to a piercing silence. Horror was etched on Ichigo's face as the fact of the matter sunk in.

"It is like a child crushing a bug," the soutaicho's voice rumbled throughout the room as he assessed the distraught teen. What was more petrifying to Ichigo was that Kisuke said nothing to discredit Yamamoto's statement.

Grey met purple.

"Ichigo, you don't yet sit on the throne, but in terms of power, you are leagues above everyone." A chill went up Ichigo's spine as he stared at the man, hoping that it was some type of sick joke. A sigh left Kisuke as he reached up and withdrew his hat from his head, placing it against his chest as he bowed.

"I am sorry denka, if it weren't for me then y-,"

"No," Ichigo cut him off, glaring down at the blonde's bewildered expression, "Don't you dare apologize to me Kisuke. It was my choice and I will live with it." A sad smile crossed his face, "Besides, so long as I can still talk to you all, then I am not alone, am I?"

"You will have to be careful near everyone for the rest of your existence," the soutaicho rumble, eyeing Ichigo with a knowing gaze. If anyone could understand the teen, it would be the soutaicho.

"If you did it, so can I." This startled the occupants in the room as they looked at the soutaicho, frowns marring their faces.

"Yama-jii, were you always stepping around eggshells with? Shunsui didn't get a reply.

"Denka," the soutaicho's rough voice broke through the silence that had once again made its way through the room, "I feel that we should try to keep your identity a secret for as long as we can. And with your approval, we should continue your lessons. There is far more that you need to learn in order to regulate the realms."

"I will not go back to that place," Ichigo gritted out.

"Ichigo-" Urahara started.

"No, I refuse to return to that realm. That is not my home. I have sisters I need to take care of, a father-"

"And how do you think they will react when you tell them you have been lying to them?" The soutaicho's gaze was sharp as he questioned Ichigo. He watched the teen look away, shame covering his face. With clenched fists, Ichigo began.

"They're my family. I-I have to trust that they will understand."

"And if they don't?" The ancient Shinigami pressed.

"No matter how they react, it is their business," Urahara cut in as he met the soutaicho's narrowed eyes.

"Very well. Then what do you say of your training, denka?" A sigh left Ichigo as he was glad the other man had dropped the prior topic. He would have to thank Urahara.

"I agree. But I will have thousands of years to learn, my fa-." He cut himself off and frowned. "The king is not in danger of keeling over at the moment. I see no need for me to hurry along with it." No one said anything about his slip.

"That true my prince, but when will you once again have someone such as myself, who has lived for thousands of years in the soul society, to mentor you?" Ichigo frowned and rubbed a hand through his white hair. The soutaicho was right. And he was positive no one would ever know the soul society better than the old man himself.

"Then this meeting is dismissed. These captains were included as a precautionary measure in the event if such a case were to happen where his identity was revealed. Then it would will be your top priority to see to that no danger befalls him while in the soul society. Urahara Kisuke, I trust that you will come up with an adequate story for his friends and family for the mean time?" A nod was all he received in response.

"Very well, denka. If you would." With that, the ancient man sat up easily and headed towards the only set of doors in the room. "Come, denka."

Ichigo hastily stood and followed, glancing over his shoulder he spoke.

"Keep them safe for me getaboshi."

Urahara smiled at Ichigo's retreating form.

 **R_R**

Ichigo trailed behind the old man who was walking surprisingly fast despite his age.

"We will go to my estate. You will be given a room and will be checked over by Unohana-taicho to ensure no physical abnormalities have occurred. Then, tomorrow morning we will start with your lessons. We will begin by bettering your knowledge of soul society."

Ichigo listened absently as he looked at their surroundings, noting the lack of people. They were the only ones using this chamber it seemed.

"I will not risk your identity," the soutaicho answered his silent question. Ichigo huffed in irritation at the response. He already knew that.

"I was taught about soul society when I was given my lessons."

"Yes, but how far did you get in your studies before you chose to run away?" Ichigo flushed slightly and scowled. He was right.

"We are here." Ichigo stopped abruptly, leaning back in order to avoid contact with the old man. He still remembered what he did to Urahara, he wasn't fond of repeating the event either. He looked around the soutaicho, spotting the pristine wooden door that they had stopped in front of.

"These are your chambers. Rest well." Without another word, the man left leaving Ichigo to stand in front of the door. He didn't even notice that they had moved to the manor. That or the man had his house combined with the first division, but he doubted that. Even the old man wasn't that crazy. With a shrug Ichigo slid open the door and frowned. The room was far too big for his liking. Instead of a typical futon, there was a massive bed covered in white silk sheets with four posts at each corner. The head board was simple in design with iron squares dividing it into six sections. Other than that, there was a simple white rug and a mahogany dresser paired with a large mirror to match the bed.

A sigh left Ichigo as he dragged his feet towards the bed, suddenly feeling tired. It had been a long day. Just as he was about to lay down, something caught his eye. He turned around and his eyes widened as he took in his true appearance for the first time in many years. Snow white hair hung down around his face and nearly covered his royal purple eyes. His pale white skin reminded him of his hollow… Ichigo's eyes grew wide as he suddenly remembered his hollow. If he was a prince, then how-

Ah, yes. He had ordered Kisuke to remove the hollow from his mother. He remembered how he said he would hold him with his own body. Why he had asked was lost to him now though. Ichigo glanced back at the mirror, noting his extremely torn clothes and bare feet. His body, though, was unmarred. Ripping off the remaining clothes, he opened a drawer and snatched out a white yukata. With a final glance at the mirror he slipped into the bed, admiring its softness.

He stared up at the ceiling and frowned as he began to tentatively prod his mind. He was nervous. His spirits had not spoken to him since he trained to use the final Getsuga Tensho and he was beginning to worry. With an unsteady breath, he closed his eyes and took the plunge into his mindscape. When he opened his eyes though, it was not what he had expected. There were no skyscrapers, no clouds, no _sky_. There was nothing but an eerie silence in an endless sea of white. Somehow though, he managed to stand on something seemingly solid. At once panic gripped his heart as he spun around frantically, trying to find something in a seemingly blank existence. His breaths came in faster as he started to run, trying to find his companions. Even if he knew they weren't what they had said they were. Now in his soul, he knew.

"Ichigo," The distorted voice echoed around him. It was too calm to simply be only one part of him. His spirits were still merged it seemed, not much time having passed since his training. Even if more time passed though, Ichigo didn't know if they would separate again since the seal was no longer in place.

"Where are you guys!?"

"We are always with you, Ichigo." There was a pause. "And we were so happy to be with you."

"What are you saying?" It almost sounded as if…

"You accepted us Ichigo. Even though I as your quincy powers were a part of you since birth, I should have never been able to hear the call of your voice." By now Ichigo had stopped running, still unable to locate his companions.

"It is me who you accepted; who you allowed to taint your soul further. When you asked Kisuke to put that hollow in you, did you know what you were asking him to do?"

"I…"

"No then, you didn't. Neither did he otherwise he would have never done it. There were two, then only one. I ate the hollow part of you that you were born with. I was the stronger hollow." There was a pause for longer than was comfortable leaving Ichigo to believe that they had left him alone in the white emptiness.

"In order to sit upon the throne, you must be able to balance all the realms, but that means you must be able to govern the people in them. The only way to understand someone is to be a part of them." Ichigo clenched his fists as he contemplated on what his partners were telling him. They spoke almost as if they were individuals, but they were still one.

"Face me! Stop hiding and show yourselves! I cannot advise people if even my own soul refuses to face me!"

"Very well, if that is what you wish," their voice came from behind him. Ichigo spun around and started to retort, but it instantly died on his lips. Right before his very eyes, his spirits were disintegrating. The black flecks of their essence was a stark contrast to the white nothingness around them.

"You are a being like no other, Ichigo. We were never meant to exist apart from you. For together, we are the most powerful." Ichigo shook his head as he gazed upon his companions with horror.

"No, I need you! I can't live like that again!" A smile touched the lips of the merged form of his 'hollow' and 'zanpakuto'. It seemed Ichigo still had strong ties to his past.

"Remember, you will never be alone. There is nothing that I have wanted to protect more than you. Like this, we can." The blue and gold eyes that bore into him seemed saddened. Ichigo felt the ice around his heart tighten.

"It was an honor fighting beside you, Ichigo." The ring of steel echoed throughout the empty whiteness as the combined form of his power slowly drew the zanpakuto that was sheathed on their back. Ichigo backed away, not daring to let their sword get anywhere near him, knowing what it meant if it did.

"Don't you-"

"It's better this way," the soft whisper was suddenly spoken in his ear, the sword that ran him through brought no pain. He was still too slow.

"NO!"

Ichigo jolted up on his bed, sweat coating his brow as panic consumed him.

 _Zangetsu!_

No reply.

Quickly, he closed his eyes and tried to shove his conscience down. Opening his eyes, he was left still staring at his room with wide, fearful eyes.

Ice gripped Ichigo's heart as he gasped for breath. Pressing a hand to his chest, he closed his eyes and tried again. Nothing.

 _No._

Anguish consumed him as he buried his face into the nearest pillow and screamed. The emptiness he felt was overwhelming and he suddenly felt like he was a little boy again. He felt alone, just as he had in that cold room for years.

The sound of his door snapping open made him flinch as he raised his head slightly. With a dejected look, he glanced at Yoruichi who strode into the room naked, concern written on her face. Without so much as a nod Ichigo hid his face, unable to look at his mentor who was always so strong no matter what she feared. The clenching ice gripping his heart did not go away.

Yoruichi sat on the edge of the bed, bringing up the covers some to hide her bottom half. Her hair hung low enough to cover her chest. This was not a time to joke with her student as she normally would.

"Ichigo" she murmured. She wanted to comfort him, but even though she couldn't feel it, she could see the wisps of blue reiatsu dancing off his skin. Touching him right now would be too dangerous. Subtly, she glanced over to where she knew the security camera was placed and shook her head. This was not something she could handle herself. In a sterner voice she called out to the distraught prince again.

"Ichigo." She heard him take a shuddering breath before he slowly moved to sit up, his back still facing her.

"Tell me what's wrong. We can't figure out a solution to what we don't know."

"They're gone." Yoruichi instantly knew what he was referring to.

"Ichigo, they may hide from you but-"

"No Yoruichi," Ichigo turned, his purple eyes boring into her. "They dissipated before my very eyes, I can't-" he cut himself off, choking on his words. "I can't even go into my inner world anymore!"

Yoruichi's eyes widened in surprise before she quickly stood, the sheet falling off of her. "Come here, Ichigo." The teen did as he was told, knowing it was pointless to argue. He didn't have the strength of will to anyways. He sat at the edge of the bed as instructed and closed his eyes. The golden eyed woman looked down at her student with furrowed brows.

"Don't move." Slowly, she raised her hands to ghost over his temples. A green glow began to emit from her hands, casting the dark room in eerie shadows the as green kido and blue reiatsu swelled around inside. What she was doing was highly intrusive, any other shinigami would have been angered if someone dare prodded at their inner world. It was a sign of his trust in her that Ichigo let her do it. After all, with him it meant he had to allow her to prod at him just like Aizen had done with Kisuke in his arrogance. Concentrating, Yoruichi scouted around with her now more focused reiatsu, she could feel nothing. Her stomach clenched as she lowered her hands and backed away. Looking to her left towards the open door she met Kisuke's grey eyes, unsurprised to find him here. He had been watching after all.

"They're gone, aren't they?" Ichigo whispered as he opened his eyes to look up at Yoruichi. For once he was completely uncaring of her nude state. Instead of replying, Yoruichi bowed her head and stood back, allowing Kisuke to take her place. He strode into the room. The clattering of his clogs reverberating through the large room.

"They will never leave you, Ichigo. They have simply adapted another form." Urahara's soft voice filled the silence as he gently moved his palm dangerously close to Ichigo's face. His own kido, a soft orange, soon took root. The tendrils caressed his student's face and within moments, Ichigo dropped back onto the bed, asleep.

The room was quiet, both guests lost in thought.

"Will they ever…?" Yoruichi moved her gaze to Urahara who stood motionless, his eyes resting on Ichigo's face.

"No."

 **R_R**

"Denka! Please, you must go to your lessons. How else are you to learn to be king?" Ichigo huffed as he scooted further back in the cupboard. He smirked as he saw his favorite teacher look around for him. Ever since they had taught him reiatsu control, hiding had become much easier. He saw his teacher sigh and stop directly in front of his hiding spot, his only view of him being the black hakama and straw sandals. Just as he was about to call out to him he saw the man stiffen.

"Yori! Have you found him yet!?" The booming voice of the head instructor made Ichigo flinch and shuffle back further.

"No, Yuu-dono," his favorite instructor replied, the tone completely void of any of its earlier humor. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed in the room. From his hiding spot, Ichigo saw his sensei fall to the floor. Purple eyes met brown and Ichigo froze, his teacher had known where he was the entire time, so why…

Tears welled up in Ichigo's eyes as he saw his beloved teacher get stomped by the older man who slammed his foot down harshly on him. Blood flowed freely on the marble floor as Ichigo watched horrified. Yori's eyes widened as he watched the older man approach Ichigo's hiding spot.

"No! Please Yuu-dono!" Ichigo cleared his blurry vision just in time to see the haggard face of Yuu appear through the open cupboard door. He whimpered as his white hair was roughly grabbed and he was dragged out from the cubby-like space.

"Come, let's go see your father!"

Ichigo gasped as he bolted up in bed. His breaths came in deep as he tried to gather his bearings. His dream reminded him of many things that he had not wanted to remember.

"Come, denka." Ichigo jolted again as he snapped his head towards the door. Yamamoto stood hunched over, and leaning on his cane.

"Uh, yeah, one second please." Ichigo shuffled off the bed and grabbed his new clothes. He glanced back towards the door to find it closed. Huffing, he quickly got changed and began to head out. Just as he reached the door he looked back at the dimly lit room and swallowed. He clenched his eyes shut and started forward once more. He would not disappoint them; he would not look back.

Snapping the door open he briskly walked out and almost ran into the old man. If Yamamoto had not shunpoed back as fast as he did, he didn't know what would have happened. With a nod in his direction Yamamoto turned and began walking down the hall.

"It will do you well to remember the path, denka. I will not always be able to escort you." Ichigo didn't say anything. Instead, he watched the crisp, white captains haori sway back and forward as the ancient man strode forward. The dark wood floor under him was smooth and free of any dirt. Other than that, the plain walls provided no landmarks for him to remember.

"Remember my ass," Ichigo muttered under his breath. If Yamamoto heard him, he made no sign. Ichigo sighed as he looked around again, trying to find anything that would help him remember the path. The only thing that was noticeable was the blue shadow being cast. By a window perhaps? The teen was so lost in thought that he didn't even realize they had arrived at their destination.

"Tea?" Yamamoto offered, snapping Ichigo out of his stupor.

"Huh? Oh. Ah, yes please." Ichigo sat down in the long, low table, absently noting that it was the same windowless room they had sat at the day prior. Nodding at Sasakibe, he carefully took the offered tea- making sure not to touch him -and blew gently, watching the steam swirl and dissipate. Ichigo sighed as he placed the tea down, the fresh beverage not appealing to him anymore. Swallowing hard, he looked over at Yamamoto who once again sat across from him, watching him closely.

"I was informed of your situation," his ancient voice rumbled. Ichigo felt the icy grip that had never left his chest tighten. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and steeled himself. Move forward.

"For now, we will simply go over the basics of paperwork and its importance in the role of maintaining order in soul society." A whine left Ichigo, one that he would forever deny. The teen hunched over and rested his elbow on the table to support his head. Yamamoto grunted, eying the prince as felt his father figure's reiatsu approach their location. For now, he had tolerated it. It would not do him well to have a bad standing with the future king.

"But first, Kisuke Urahara has found a way to hide your new appearance." He gestured vaguely to refer to Ichigo's white skin and purple eyes. "Without sealing your powers more." Of course he did, Ichigo thought. What can't that asinine man do?

"IIIIIII-CCCCCCHHHHIIIIII-GOOOOOOOO!" Out of pure instinct, Ichigo hit the deck as a flying kick swept over his head. His eyes widened as panic gripped him. No, he wasn't ready to face his family yet!

A crash sounded at the other end of the small room as Isshin landed in a heap. Yamamoto huffed in irritation and took another sip of his tea.

"That's my boy!"

"D-dad I-" Ichigo cut himself off as he stared at his father, wishing he could just hide his newly acquired form. Across the room Isshin sat up, his face serious as his eyes bore into his son's.

"You know the truth about yourself once more Ichigo. Yet, you still call me father." Isshin paused and his serious expression turned gentle as he smiled at his son from his sprawled position on the floor.

"I only knew some of what had happened when Kisuke brought you to Masaki and I. You were lonely and looking for a home." His father stood and approached Ichigo, kneeling next to him.

"Masaki and I couldn't, and wouldn't have turned you away. Even if we had known the full story." Warmth spread through the teen's chest as he stared at the loving eyes of his father.

"Besides, you were so cute!" Instantly, Ichigo scowled.

"Was not you goat!" He was surprised when all his father did was smile.

"You worried your sisters."

"Then I'll go make sure they know I'm okay." His father nodded and stood. He glanced over at Yamamoto and an unspoken conversation passed the two men. Slowly, Isshin nodded and turned back towards his son who looked up at him in confusion.

"I will see you later Ichigo. Your sisters still need me back home."

"I'll come back as soon as I ca-"

"No," Isshin cut him off, his face stern. "You will not leave this place Ichigo, there is a reason why you were never supposed to leave the spirit realm. If your presence here was discovered…" He trailed off, leaving the possibilities in the air.

"We will come to you. All you need to do is just stay safe." Isshin reached over to ruffle Ichigo's hair but was surprised when Ichigo jumped back towards the far wall, his eyes wide.

"Until he can once more learn to control the full force of his reiatsu, Isshin, it is best that any part of his person not be touched directly. I do believe, however, that his clothes are fine to touch." Yamamoto spoke, remembering when he had helped the young prince up after the seal was broken. He had been fine only touching the boy's clothing. Yamamoto studied Isshin as he spoke, contemplating on what a future with him in it would bring and the ramifications of allowing him to stay.

Isshin sighed and smiled sadly at his son, "Learn fast then, Ichigo."

With that, Ichigo watched his father open the door and left. A few moments later, Urahara stepped in with his fan already over his face.

"My, my, what's going on here?" He took in Yamamoto's calm posture as he sipped his tea and Ichigo's slumped over form against the wall."

"Nothing." Ichigo scooted back towards his spot, once more picking his tea up and finally taking a sip.

"Are you ready, Kisuke?" With a nod, the blonde stepped further into the room and placed his fan back in his robes. He motioned for Ichigo to face him as he knelt near the table, simultaneously bringing out two objects.

"This here will cloak your reiatsu so it matches your old signature exactly." He held up a simple, blank wrist band for Ichigo to put on. The teen quirked an eyebrow and Urahara sighed.

"Well, now that you have the strength to kill me without trying, I figured it would be wise on my part to not pull and sort of pranks this time around." Ichigo laughed as he thought on it. Oh he was going to enjoy this. Once he calmed down, he saw Urahara stare at him with a perplexed look on his face.

"What?" He muttered, suddenly self-conscience.

"Perhaps your personalities are starting to mix. I didn't really know you before you came to my humble shop and became _you_ , so this will be quite the experience!" Ichigo blushed as he went to punch the blonde before freezing. Urahara's wide eyes were staring at his fist was coated with a glowing blue reiatsu. Ichigo drew back immediately and muttered about blonde perverts.

"Now, now Ichigo!" Urahara said, amused.

"Shuttup!" Urahara grinned and gestured for Ichigo to put on the black band. "And this one," he pointed to the other band on the wooden table, a simple white dot in the middle. "Will mimic the body of your gigai." Snatching it away, Ichigo placed that one on first, white dot up, and watched in awe as his skin slowly turned a pale pink and then glowed with a slight tan. He had to hand it to him, the man was a genius. Eyeing the other band, he grudgingly put it on and was surprised when he felt no change in his own reiatsu.

A choking cough startled him as he snapped his head over to Urahara. The blonde was lying face first on the ground, gasping for air as he clutched his throat. In an instant, the band was off.

"Kisuke!" A wheezing cough was all he received. Ichigo wanted to help him up, but refused to touch him, fearing he would only make it worse. He glanced over at Yamamoto who was slowly sitting back up. His tea that had spilled over the table began dripping on the floor.

A chuckle left Kisuke as he stared back up at Ichigo. "You didn't let me finish." A soft blush dusted newly tanned cheeks as he muttered an apology. "I was going to say, you need to suppress your reiatsu before you put it on. Right now you are only suppressing a fraction of it. I need you to let it go fully, then slowly bring it down to a level that we can feel and then begin to suppress it so this," the green clad man gestured around him, "Doesn't happen even when you wear it."

"But if I release my reiatsu, won't this just happen again?" Kisuke shook his head.

"No. Even if you were to free your reiatsu right now, it is so powerful even Yamamoto-san won't feel it. It is only when you begin to bring it down to our level of comprehension that this may occur if you cannot suppress it fast enough."

"Are you sure?" Urahara was about to feel insulted until he took a good look at the boy's worried expression. He felt his own soften as he nodded. "I am sure, denka." The word had the desired effect and Ichigo immediately scowled.

"Fine then! Old man, if anything goes wrong you blame this crazy goof!" Without a second thought Ichigo let his reiatsu loose, anticipating the wheezing coughs he had heard earlier. But he was met with nothing. With a sigh of relief, he watched as his reiatsu swirl around him momentarily before slowly bringing it down. For once he was glad for all the lessons he was forced to take when he was younger. Slowly but surely the blue reiatsu that had refused to dissipate off the surface of his skin began to fade, but when it was completely gone it was as if a switch was snapped. In the instant before, Urahara and Yamamoto had both raised their reiatsu to a painfully bright degree, casting deep red and bright orange on the otherwise dark walls. It was still not enough to battle against Ichigo's now immense reserves.

Yamamoto and Urahara strained to keep themselves upright. Now that they were prepared for the onslaught of power, they managed to just barely keep their heads off the floor. The table that Yamamoto was leaning on snapped and splinters of wood few in every direction. Sweat glistened Ichigo's brow as he fought to reign in his immense reiatsu, unused to the feeling of such power.

"Just a little more Ichigo!" It was slowly getting easier for the other two occupants in the room to sit up. But for Ichigo, his body began to feel the strain of the power he was no longer used to controlling.

"Now!" Ichigo struggled to keep his grip on his restrained reiatsu, panting as he felt his control start to slip. By now, Yamamoto and Urahara managed to straighten more from the decrease in pressure. As fast as he could manage under the strain, the blonde took the black band off of the remains of the broken table and haphazardly managed to slip it on Ichigo's wrist. In an instant, the pressure was gone. A sigh of relief left Urahara as he watched Ichigo gasp for breath.

"Took your time there." Kisuke spoke, panting slightly. The now orange haired teen grunted, not having enough energy to glare.

"Why didn't it work the first time… When I wore it?" He gasped. Urahara took a moment to answer that question, he too was still trying to regain his bearings as well.

"I designed that so it would only _help_ you suppress your reiatsu. If you suppressed it first, then theoretically it would hold it there, allowing you to suppress it even further." This explanation didn't quite make sense to Ichigo, but he let it go. He was not feeling like getting into a science mumbo jumbo talk at this moment.

"Whatever," he muttered. "It worked." There was silence and then a rough voice spoke.

"It seems you owe me a new table, Kurosaki." Ichigo would have been tempted to laugh had the old man not surprised him by his choice of words.

"Back to Kurosaki?"

"If we are to make your appearance believable, then we must go back to our old terms." Ichigo huffed.

"I never changed my way of speaking."

"Oh, but you have Kurosaki-san!" The orange headed teen really wanted to rip his annoying fan into a million pieces. He glared at the offending object as it was flapped this way and that.

"Your manner of speaking seems more… proper. Does it not Yamamoto-san?" The old man opened one eye and glared at Kisuke, but didn't say a word. Instead, he stared down at the pot of tea that was shattered on the floor and grunted in agitation. Within moments, Sasakibe walked in, broom in one hand and towel in another. Ichigo found it creepy how that man always seemed to know happened around Yamamoto.

With a nod to his lieutenant, the old man stood and began walking out of the now trashed office.

"Come, Kurosaki. Paperwork does not do itself." Next to him, Urahara snickered and Ichigo smacked him on the shoulder. He froze a second later as he realized what he had done.

"It's quite alright Ichigo," Kisuke's steel grey eyes stared at him through the shadows cast by his hat. "That's what that bracelet is for. Wouldn't be good if you went off accidentally killing people, ne?" Ichigo smacked him harder, smirking as the man whined. He then quickly stood and raced after the old man, cursing Urahara as he felt him trail along.

"Don't you have better things to do!?"

"Why, what could be more important than making sure my beloved pupil gets properly educated!" Ichigo groaned in frustration as he fell into step slightly behind the soutaicho. He was pretty sure Urahara only wanted to see him get tortured. As they turned into another hallway, Ichigo spotted a window and gazed at the sunlight that was leaked through. He had spent the past day and a half with only artificial light so he wasn't surprised when he had to squint at the bright sunlight.

"We shall do our review in the gardens to see what you know. You have been inside long enough. Sunlight would do you well." Ichigo nodded, thinking about how his inner world was usually cloudy and full of rain. Zangetsu would- he paused mid-step. Clenching his fists, he held down the anguish that so wanted to rush up and consume him. He had been doing well not thinking about it so far… but it was so hard with it simmering right below the surface.

A hand smacking the back of his head brought him back as he spun around to glare at Kisuke, ready to retaliate and get mad. Instead, Urahara's steel grey eyes bore into his as he gestured Ichigo forward. Forward. Don't look back. With a slight nod in thanks, Ichigo turned back around and entered the garden.

The sun temporarily blinded him once he fully stepped outside. But when his eyes adjusted he whistled at its beauty. It seemed that the old man's favorite color was purple. The green grass crunched beneath his feet was cut short, but all around there were bright blue flowers of all kinds. Considering it wasn't his interest, he didn't quite know what kind they were, but they were without a doubt pretty.

"Well, this is where I leave you!" Urahara tilted his hat down and gave a slight bow. "Good luck Ichigo!"

With that, Urahara shunpoed onto a nearby roof of the first division compound, leaving Ichigo to glare after his retreating form. What Ichigo missed though, was the flash of _something_ in Kisuke's eyes. Yamamoto, however, did not.

"Now Kurosaki, let us begin your first lesson." The old man started with his well-practiced speech describing the order and structure held in the soul society. It was the speech he gave to the newly recruited shinigami of the academy, to inspire awe in the way things have been done for thousands of years. While he spoke, he extended his senses to search for the blonde man's reiatsu, finding it instantly. The man had gone no further than the roof he had originally shunpoed to. Whatever he was hiding, he did not want anyone to know. Even with all his experience, Yamamoto could barely feel the disturbance that his reiatsu held. But no matter how deep he hid it, it was clear to Yamamoto that it greatly distressed the man.

 **R_R**

"Hey Yoruichi." Golden eyes slid over to look at the green clad man who came to stand next to her. The blonde stood on the ledge of first division roof, his eyes locked on Ichigo as the teen argued with the soutaicho. Yoruichi narrowed her golden eyes, assessing her long-time friend as he continued.

"Do you remember him?" A crease appeared between the brows of the goddess of flash.

"Who, Kisuke?"

Urahara pursed his lips as he thought. "He's the reason you have your title, Yoruichi." He tilted his head to the left and met her piercing gaze.

"Remember when we saw…" he trailed off, unable to finish. He didn't have to. Yoruichi's wide eyes told him she understood. Simultaneously, they both looked down again to gaze at Ichigo far below. Said teen was yelling and causing a ruckus about having to learn how to do paperwork.

"I've been thinking about it for a while, ever since he first came to me all those years ago." He paused and tilted his green striped hat down to cover his eyes.

"What are the chances that it's just a coincidence Kisuke?" Grey eyes looked at her.

"Slim. So slim that a number that small might as well be zero, especially considering who he is." A frown etched its way onto Kisuke's face as he continued to analyze her features. Comparing them from when they had been younger.

"He would be disappointed in me, Yoruichi." She kept silent for a moment, not knowing how to comfort her friend.

"We don't know that Kisuke." She finally replied.

He swallowed and brought a hand to his chest, trying to smother the feeling of dread gripping his heart.

"He would _hate_ me." Yoruichi didn't say anything. Instead, she opted to swing an arm around her friend's shoulders in a rare moment of true affection.

A breeze swept by, blowing purple locks over her shoulder as she slid her eyes away from her friend, ignoring his set jaw and the tension it created over his face.

"We don't know that," She repeated. "Besides, he only heard about you before he first came to meet you."

Urahara frowned and clenched his jaw tighter. Ichigo hadn't known because he had been young then. Still, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Kisuke turned towards his friend, her piercing gaze boring into him. He swallowed.

"Ever since he started his teens," Urahara paused, turning to peer down at Ichigo once more. "He started to look familiar. But I couldn't be sure."

Yoruichi was quick to ask another question. "And what about his reiatsu? I certainly didn't feel any resemblance."

"Yeah," Kisuke shrugged off her arm and turned away from the scene below, his back facing his long time best friend.

"Me either."

 **R_** **R**

Ichigo sat on the floor of the cell with his legs crossed. The black cloak he wore hid his face and reiatsu from any prying eyes. In front of him, hands and feet bound to a chair, was Aizen. The black cloth that kept him sealed covered every inch of his body. He fiddled with the arm bands that were in his cloak pocket, wondering if he should be doing this. Well, he was already there. No turning back now.

"I want to speak with him." Without pause, a shinigami slowly and carefully unbound the cloth that covered the traitor's ears and mouth.

"What a pleasant surprise. I get such a freedom so early?" His low, sarcastic voice filled the room, making the shinigami guard draw his lips back in disgust.

"Always see the bright side, hmm?" Aizen paused, a slight frown crossing his lips before it was hidden behind a smirk.

"A suppression device I presume?" Ichigo nodded as he fiddled with the edge of the hood sleeve, then paused realizing the man couldn't see him

"It is."

"I take it you don't want anyone knowing you are here then? What's so wrong with paying me a visit?" Ichigo scoffed, already feeling his annoyance rise.

"Do not play your mind games with me, Aizen." The traitor was quiet as he frowned.

"You are different Kurosaki, more… contained."

"I have my reasons." As an afterthought he addressed the guard once more. "Let him see."

This time there was hesitance in the man, but he did as he was told nevertheless. After all, the soutaicho wouldn't let this mysterious man in unless he was completely trustworthy.

The cell grew quiet once more and Ichigo motioned for the guard to leave. Ichigo stood and moved directly in front of Aizen just as the door clicked closed. Aizen was looking at him with narrowed eyes, assessing the cloak that he wore.

"Urahara?" There was a tinge of malice in his voice as he spoke the name.

"Yes. This is quite the useful invention he made," Ichigo answered, gesturing to the long cloak he wore.

"What was your goal, Aizen? And do not lie to me, you were not merely power hungry as you claimed. I heard the cries of your soul." The brown haired man's face was blank as he stared at Ichigo.

"Do not presume to kn-"

"Why were you lonely? Your actions have only landed yourself in a more unfavorable situation. Now you really are alone. Can you even hear the voice of your zanpakuto?"

"Do _not_ presum _e_ to know me Kurosaki!" Aizen now glared at the teen as his breaths came in more harshly.

"Very well, then why did you wish for the throne?"

"How could I not? That _thing_ that sits on the throne does not understand anything that goes on in the world and only lives to maintain the balance without giving the people any hope!" Ichigo frowned as he tilted his head to the side.

"You are correct." Aizen blinked, slightly bewildered at the response but quickly set his arrogant mask back on his face.

"But it does not control us either." Ichigo slowly started to unbutton the black cloak that he wore as he continued speaking. The walls of the cell would not allow any of his reiatsu escape. "Nor does he ask for anything in return. He just is and will always be until his death. He cannot choose favorites, only hope his people live. He leaves them their will." The last button came undone and Ichigo threw the cloak off. Deep purple eyes met brown as Ichigo looked down at Aizen who now sat perfectly still on his chair.

"Surly if you had been keeping tabs on me this entire time then you should have known who I was? Judging from your expression, that was another lie."

"Is that why," Aizen looked him over, the white skin and hair contrasting deeply with the eyes that peered down at him. "You defended it?" Ichigo shook his head and he took a couple steps back to lean against the wall.

"No, I didn't even remember who I was until after you were sealed." Ichigo said, looking at the curious expression on the man's face. "When I was younger, I asked Kisuke to seal my memories and powers so that I could grow up with a family that I could hold dear." He sighed, "The life of a royal was not what I wanted, and above all I feared becoming like my father."

"Why do you feel compelled to tell me this? Why are you being so open?" A smirk crossed the teen's face as he glanced down at Aizen.

"I could ask you the same. Since when were your expressions so open?"

"What else is there to hide? My zanpakuto is no longer with me, so what illusion do I have to make?"

It was quiet for a long while as they studied each other.

"You still didn't answer my question, Aizen. Why are you so lonely?" There was another pause before he received an answer.

"I stood above all, Ichigo. I was hated. Why should I not feel alone?" Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed. He was not expecting a response.

"Then it seems we will now have more in common than either of us would like." Pushing himself off the wall, Ichigo strode to his discarded black cloak and swiftly buttoned it back up. With a final glance at Aizen, he pulled the hood up and opened the door. Moving slightly to his left to allow the guard back in.

"I am done with him," he muttered. More loudly over his shoulder he called out, "Until next time, Aizen."

The brunette's last view of Ichigo was to see him striding away into the dark chambers of the Muken.

* * *

 **Well, that was fun.**

 **I'd like to give a shout out to the most amazing beta** **ShiroHichi891!** **She's been with me for years now and I wouldn't have another!**

 **If you have any questions, please PM me or if you're a guest review and I'll get back to you. Just add a name so you know who asked what.**

 **Thank you to those that reviewed I really appreciate it. I know that it was the first chapter so thanks.**

 **And now that we are in chapter two I would ask for a little more please? I will continue to try to give long chapters but if it seems that no one is too into it then my motivation sorta dies off ;_; (sorry!) CAN WE HIT 10!? :D**

 **And sorry for long wait, but this long chapter was a pain haha. Editing took like a week and a half also! We are busy busy people!**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**

 **P.s If Ichigo seem OOC I understand and it will be that way for a long bit.**


	3. Chapter 3

Urahara sat slumped against a wall in the twelfth division. His former third seat (now captain) was glaring at him from across the room, nose up in a disdainful manner. The blonde had been there all night, pouring over research notes, attempting to figure out how he could further help Ichigo. Absently, his gaze passed by the crazed scientist and to the pedestal where the Hogyoku sat. It was contained in a black box, numerous seals intertwining with one another and holding it in place. Letting out a long-suffering sigh, he stood and stretched, grimacing as his back popped. "What is it" he didn't dally with playful jokes today, far too much was on his mind. Mayuri stilled, his eyes narrowing on his former captains' figure. With a grunt he swept around in a flourish, commenting over his shoulder "be sure to clean up when you're done." Even he knew better than to agitate the genius in such a state. It left a sour taste in his mouth, having to back down from his former captain, the man that he _would_ pass. But he had better things to do anyways.

Urahara watched him leave with narrowed eyes, well aware of what he was thinking. Once he disappeared into the darkness of the hall, the blonde let out a soft sigh, padding over to stand in front of his creation. There was no way to destroy it, and it irked him to no end that he had yet to find a solution to that. The consequences of having this abomination was a bloody war and who knows what else. He tipped his head forward as guilt shadowed his eyes, and with a large exhale he shook his head minutely and continued to stare. Glancing over to the monitor on the far right he noted the purple dot. It hadn't moved in hours.

"How is he?" Yoruchi's voice reached his ears, glancing down he crouched to pet behind her ear. "Physically, he's well. His reiatsu, what part of it we're able to detect, is stable and his vitals are fine" Yoruichi swiped at his face, leaving three thin lines of blood. A chuckle escaped the green clad scientist as he picked her up and let her perch on his shoulder. "You always did know how to drag me out of my thoughts.

"Just the stupid ones" she murmured, rubbing her face against his cheek. "You think too much, Kisuke." An uncharacteristic snort escaped said man as a wry smile tugged at his lips. "You're just noticing this?" Another swat to his face was the only answer he received. Just as he was about to begin his dramatics, a shrill alarm rang. Whatever he had been about to say flew to the wind as the scientist whirled round to glance at the monitor. An entity had appeared 20 feet from Ichigo, the reiatsu signature was known, so why-

Kisuke inhaled sharply "Go to him now Yoruichi! I'll inform the other divisions!" At the tone of his voice the assassin didn't ask for more information, all that mattered was making sure her target was safe. She rarely heard him talk with any sense of urgency, she wouldn't question it. Already she was half way out of the building, having changed to her faster human form, she hoped she made it on time.

A small sense of relief filled Urahara as he felt Yoruichi disappear like lightning, even as he typed away furiously on the keyboard. He felt Mayuri run in, his reiatsu slightly disturbed. When an alarm rang, it usually contained itself to the twelfth division, and from there they would send out messages to the captains. This one was different though, it rang throughout all of seireitei, warning everyone to be on high alert. He knew the man behind him took in the readings, his crackling laugh echoing throughout the whole room.

"So, they finally came."

 **R_R**

White hair lay around Jushiro in a pool, the wind gently lifting his locks to and fro. Brown eyes stared up at the blue sky, gazing at the fluffy clouds that passed by without a care. His hands, which were extended above his head idly fingered the crisp grass. Next to him sat Shunsui, who had chosen to stay propped up on his left arm, his eyes half shut in his relaxation. Another breeze lifted his pink haori slightly and ruffled his lose locks of hair. Tilting his straw hat forward slightly, he looked down at the white-haired captain and smiled when he caught his eye, speaking without words. It was the first time they were able to lay on the grass since the war, paperwork and repair efforts making their life busy.

"Did you ever think…" Shunsui looked away, contemplating the unfinished question from his friend. "No, I don't think any of us did" he stated with a sigh and a shake of his head. "Not even Aizen." There was a brief pause at the mention of the name, and thoughts of where the man now resided lingered in their minds. "We were given plenty of hints," Jushiro murmured "and we picked up on none of them." A chuckle escaped the brunette as he glanced back up at the sky squinting at the brightness of the sun. "Don't worry Ju, his heart is still in the right place. If he wanted any sort of vengeance, I'm sure he would have had it by now." A slight cringe left the white-haired captain, unable to meet his friend's eyes. He couldn't help but think the worst, after all they've done to the boy. He looked back up to the sky, taking note of a particularly oddly shaped cloud. It almost looked as if a vertical hole had been made in it, the bottom of the cloud trailing down, like something had broken free. Before he could mention it though, a shrill alarm blazed to life around them, jerking the two captains from their sleepy haze.

Without thought, the two of them extended their senses far, searching for anything out of the ordinary. They found it, three strong signatures scouring all of the seireitei, as if looking for something. They both stood and nodded grimly to each other, silently agreeing to go to the closest one. Reaching out once more thy discovered that the one closest to them had stopped and without further ado they ran straight for it. A sharp intake of air next to Shunsui made him glance at his partner in worry, noting the wide eyes and slightly faster flash step. "Ichigo," that was all the encouragement he needed as he increased his speed, Ju keeping up easily. Whoever was here had found Ichigo.

Just as the two were nearly there, their instincts screamed at them, and simultaneously they both ducked, narrowly dodging the swipe of the sword. Skidding to a halt they took a step back, distancing themselves slightly to take in the scene. The man stood from his outstretched posture, slowly bringing his sword down. He took in the two captains and an easy smile graced his features, "it's been far too long." Shunsui returned the smile, tipping his hat up slightly to get a better look at the member of the Zero squad. "So, it has" he replied, noting that the two of them weren't going anywhere anytime soon if this was their opponent. Now they knew though, Ichigo would be safe, but what they wanted from him was another matter altogether.

Without a word Shunsui plopped down and reached for the sake he kept in his haori. Patting the grass next to him for the man who had nearly killed them to come join them. And exaggerated sigh left Jushiro as he sat down far more gracefully, both looking at Nimaiya expectantly. He walked towards them and sheathed his sword, plopping down and taking an offered cup of sake. "I suppose you'll want all the juicy details, I would like some also." With a raise of their cups, they each tilted their heads back and began to drink.

 **R_R**

Purple hair streamed behind Yoruichi like a banner, taunt against the wind as the goddess of flash used every ounce of her famous speed to reach her student. The air around her seemed to shift and she dug her heels into the ground, growling at the man who stood in her path fiercely. Her eyes shone a brilliant gold as she lunged, striking down hard with her left leg only to be caught and flung back. " _Move!"_ She hissed out, crouching low and preparing for another leap, eyes wild. "Don't you know who I am, Shinigami?" The man drawled, lowering his gaze as he took her in. "I'm well aware, all the more reason to make sure you don't stop me." With a huff, the man tilted his head back and laughed, his shoulders shaking in his mirth. "You cannot stop me, stop us from preforming our duty, unless of course you'd like to be tried for treason" Yoruichi paused and smirked back. Now it was her turn to play dirty.

"And do you really think Ichigo would allow his beloved teacher to be put through that?" The smirk that had also been playing along the man's face vanished as he took her in once more. "Teacher, huh" He clenched his fist and let a sneer cross his face. "I'm not sure what you could have possibly taught him, goddess of flash" he let out with disgust lacing his tone.

Yoruichi stood, eyeing him before a slow smile played across her features. "Jealousy doesn't seem to suit you so well, _Tenjiro_ " she purred, eyes narrowing in mirth as the man in front of her smirked back. "I'll show you something to be jealous of."

Before Yoruichi could reply, she found herself put on the defense, blocking a flurry of blows, muscles straining as her eyes widened in shock. She didn't have time for this! "Don't get distracted" that was her only warning, crossing her arms in front of her to block the blow, she found herself being flung back into a far wall, unable to stop and unable to lessen the impact. Smashing through the stone she coughed and quickly stood back up, flaring her reiatsu and emerging generally unharmed. Placing her hand on her hip she scowled and flared her reiatsu twice in succession, Kisuke would know.

Sinking low, she readied herself, "is that all you've got?"

 **R_R**

Ichigo found himself slung over a slim shoulder, the breath knocked out of him and his limbs numb. It had happened to fast for him to respond, one minute he was watching the leaves drift in the breeze, and the next he was gasping for air. Trying to take in his surroundings he strained his eyes, noticing that he was circled by 5 men, fully clad in black from head to toe, and the one who carried him stood in the center of the circle. There was a woman leading them ahead as he was carried off in a flurry of flash step. Ichigo heaved as a shoulder dug deep into his gut from a particularly hard landing, coughing and wincing at the pain. Still, he was unable to move his limbs. Flaring his reiatsu, he tried to overwhelm whatever it was that was numbing him, but he could feel nothing. "Don't try to move," the woman at the front tossed over her shoulder. "As long as that cuff can take in your reiatsu, you won't be able to. So just sit tight." Ichigo scowled, or at least he thought he did. Ignoring her, he continued to flare his reiatsu, trying to will whatever it was way. What was it with people putting shit on his wrists? The orange haired teen paused, glancing down at the reiatsu suppressing band Kisuke had given him, taking in the slight tear in the fabric-like material. They were only designed to suppress half of his reiatsu, so if he let it all go…

Once again Ichigo flared his reiatsu, this time he didn't limit himself. He could feel the men carrying him beginning to strain and he pushed further, noticing the tear getting wider as he began to glow blue. Red reiatsu soon joined in and streaks of white followed, startling Ichigo with the meaning of such a thing. Now even more desperate he pushed, feeling the man cave to his knees and with a final flare, the bracelet snapped. Unfortunately for him, it seemed they were a duo, and both his reiatsu suppressing bracelet and "white away" one was rendered useless. He felt the warmth seep back into his arms as his skin turned white. As soon as he was able to twitch his fingers he flung himself off the man carrying him, wherever the man had been touching Ichigo was disintegrated. "It _is_ you" Any chance Ichigo had for playing this off was gone at the look on the woman's face who now stood in front of him. Her long black hair was pin straight, a white haori draped her shoulders and a large golden moon decorated her hair. She looked regal, standing in the clearing, surrounded by the ancient trees. He didn't reply, instead he stood on shaky legs and glared at her, noting that the black clad figures were no longer straining under his reiatsu, it was beyond their ability to comprehend. With a quick thought Ichigo flung the cuff off his left wrist and slammed down hard on his control. Immediately, everyone fell to their knees, the woman was the only one having better luck, flaring her reiatsu until she was able to stand. The others however, were prostrated on the floor, not a sound coming from them.

"Denka" The heavy voice came from behind and Ichigo spun half a step to his right, keeping both occupants in view. He only relaxed slightly when he saw the imposing figure of the leader of the Gotei 13. The aged captain nodded to the woman who in turn nodded back, making him once again raise his guard as he narrowed his eyes at the two. "What's going on?" he took a step back from them both, hand itching to go to the sword that was no longer there.

Yamamoto opened his smoldering eyes as he took in the form of the young prince in his true form. With a glance at the woman across from him he let out a sigh, surprising the youth. Now, the truth was out, he would be unable to help him. Gripping his cane tightly, he came to a decision. "My duty" and without another word, the twisted wood around his sword burned away as Ichigo watched, purple eyes wide in horror. Even with all his reiatsu, there was no beating experience. "Explain yourself!" The ancient Shinigami raised a brow at the uncharacteristic behavior, noting the young man also seemed slightly confused yet standing his ground. He didn't say anything for a moment, taking in the cautious features of one of the men he swore to protect.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, former substitute Shinigami, now known prince of the realm, it is my duty to escort you back to the safety of the palace" Yamamoto rumbled out, putting his sword at the ready. "With or without force." White hair was lifted slightly in the breeze that swept by the clearing. Ichigo knew, that had he not regained his memories, he would have missed what the old man meant. He had turned a blind eye to Ichigo being there, but now that his identity was out, Yamamoto's hands were tied. He nodded slightly at the captain, noting the regret and relief in his flaming eyes. A grim look crossed Ichigo's face as he took in his odds. He was without a sword, but he was not helpless. He reached up, his hand in the shape of a claw as he prayed and _hoped_ this would work. He was part hollow, this was just how he knew how to call upon this particular power. "Please," he murmured so low he doubted anyone heard. With a swipe down across his face Ichigo felt his mask form, this one though, was not familiar. It held a significant weight and a heavy aurora of darkness, more than usual. His musings were interrupted abruptly as he heard a gasp from the woman to his left, "Denka!" He swiftly looked over, noting that she too had drawn her blade. Perhaps, this wasn't the best of ideas then.

Instincts roaring, Ichigo jumped back, a sword narrowly missing his mask. Just as he was about to retaliate Ichigo found his vision covered in green. "Oh my, it's been such a terribly long time Yamamoto-san!" Kisuke's cheery voice halted everyone in the clearing. Ichigo couldn't help the snort that escaped him, glad the mask covered his blush as the woman raised an eyebrow at him. A second later Ichigo furrowed his brow, the scientist had met with the old man just the other day. "So it has" Yamamoto's response confused Ichigo further, as he kept his mouth shut and took in the scene.

"Ah yes, Urahara Kisuke, the one responsible for letting our prince be altered and nearly killed on multiple occasions." The snap of a fan was heard as Urahara brought it up to his face, narrowed eyes briefly looking at the woman before he tilted his head back, catching Ichigo's eye. With a wink he turned back to eye the old man.

"Yamamoto-san, am I to understand that this man had no affiliation with you and is an exile?" The slim woman's voice fluctuated slightly as she turned her sharp gaze to the ancient Shinigami. If Ichigo hadn't been so close, he wouldn't have noticed the barely there nod that the scientist gave to the old man. "That is correct."

"So be it," and without hesitating the woman lunged at the blonde, blade at the ready only to skid to a halt when Ichigo buzzed in front of his teacher. The sword was at his throat but if the earlier conversation was anything to go by, he knew he would not be harmed. She quickly moved her sword away, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You are able to understand me still?" Ichigo raised him mask to the top of his head, noting the weight and texture offhandedly. Purple on black eyes peered down at the woman "I'm not mindless." The woman bowed her head slightly "forgive me, I was not aware you already mastered that form, Denka." Though he wasn't quite sure about what she was talking about, Ichigo nodded and glanced back over his shoulder. His and Urahara's places had been reversed.

"What are the crimes committed by the man who stands behind me." The woman straightened at his voice, shoulders stiff as she replied, "high treason, kidnapping and intentional harm to the prince." Ichigo heard Urahara's fan continue to flutter nervously behind him, and he let out a sigh. "What are your orders, and by who were they given," he saw her hesitate to reply. By now the clearing had gotten far less tense yet it was still anything but friendly. "Ordered by the counsel of the soul king, Urahara Kisuke is to be executed on sight, Zanpaktou obliterated." Ichigo winced, no longer hearing the fan fluttering behind him nor sensing anything from the man for that matter. His mind raced as he thought. He had made a promise. Memories of his lessons when he was young filtered by, grasping at anything that could be of use.

"The soul king and his heir are the only ones that can overturn a ruling," Ichigo began as he eyed her down. Seeing where he was getting at she began to protest, "with all due respect Denka, you must be of age-"

"That you are right, and it seems to me that my 16th year has already passed, faster than intended but still of age."

"Denka please, each year is a thousand mortal years! You've yet to even reach your 9th!" Ichigo snapped his mask back on his face, knowing his distorted voice came out far more terrifying when forced to look at the face of his hollow. "To reach maturity, tell me, do I look like a child to you?" He would have to thank his former teachers, though cruel, they had taught him the art of technicalities. The woman bowed her head, hand clenching her sword tightly. Raven hair obscured her eyes from him as he looked down at her. "Your verdict, Denka?" Ichigo mentally sighed in relief, he could feel Kisuke loose much of his tension as his reiatsu uncoiled slightly. "Overturned." Without another word the woman nodded and raised her left hand to her ear, muttering into whatever device she held there.

Now that most of the tension had ebbed away from the small clearing they stood at, Ichigo released the control on his hollow power, letting it flow back into him to mingle with the other parts of his soul. The oppressive air leaving without a trace. Glancing at Yamamoto, he noticed that the man had resealed his sword and a sigh of relief left him. Noticing the look, Yamamoto moved forward and tipped his head slightly at the youth "perhaps it would be wise to take the coming… discussions elsewhere." The old man had given Ichigo an outlet for answers and he grasped on it gratefully. "Lead the way old man."

 **R_R**

They were there again. Urahara sat at the low table, his eyes peering over his fan as it gently fluttered. Ichigo sat next to him, his snow white features impossible to miss against the dark room. Opposite of them sat the woman who had snuck up on Ichigo and two other men. All part of the Zero squad. Grey eyes took in the scene even as Kisuke gently extended his senses, relaxing slightly when he felt Yoruichi prowling on the wooden beams above them. The room was quiet, tea had been provided by Yamamoto's lieutenant who now stood guard at the door. Said tea was beginning to grow cold, leaving a bad taste in his mouth as Kisuke quickly put the cup back down. Glancing at Ichigo again he saw the youth far away in his own thoughts once again surprising the shop keeper. He had been sure that Ichigo would have made some sort of ruckus, but it seemed having his memories returned to him had taught him a sense of patience. Even he could see the members of the royal guard begin to fidget, though he doubted they would call it that. It was the little things, like how their fingers rubbed against the side of the cup more often or by how their eyes wandered more frequently. The soutaicho on the other hand held patience that was even beyond him. His old age probably having something to do with that. But if age related to patience, then… Kisuke rested his grey eyes on Ichigo once more, taking him in all over again. If the woman was right, then that meant Ichigo was far older than either of them, but she spoke of maturity as if-

"Are we just going to sit here staring at each other all day?" All eyes landed on Tenjiro as he crossed his arms across his chest, his mouth pulled down in a frown as he refused to meet anyone's gaze. With another glance at Ichigo, Kisuke could see that the young man was too lost in his thoughts to even be stirred from the statement. Tenjiro did have a fair point through. Carefully, he lowered his fan and promptly proceeded the poke the prince's temple repeatedly, and in the most annoying voice he could conjure up "Kuuurrooossaaakkkiiiiiii-saaaannn!" He didn't even have a chance to finish as he was cut off, feeling his body go weightless before it got slammed against a wall. "How dare you disrespect your future ki-"

A pale hand had stopped the woman mid rant, her fury evaporating as she stilled. "You're not to touch him" Ichigo's low voice rumbled in the small room and Urahara couldn't help but widen his eyes at the sound of it. It was and wasn't Ichigo. He felt the hand that had grabbed the front of his haori loosen and he sat up, dusting off his hat as he looked for a distraction, his fan having been flung from his hands. "Yes Denka." Her voice was small and Kisuke couldn't help but notice that it did not seem to suit a woman like her. "My, my Kurosaki! I didn't know you cared for me so!" He smiled as Ichigo rounded on him and threw his hands in the air in exasperation, "kami forbid I ever be rid of you!" Urahara smiled and went back to sit near him again, the woman also going back to her own spot at the table at a slower pace, eyeing him in distrust. Urahara was used to such looks, so that didn't exactly bother him. What did bother him though, was that she was dangerous. They all were, and he had unintentionally let his guard down. "Now then, what is it that we can do for you?" Something hit Kisuke on the side of his head and he cringed at the impact, his fan would be in tatters by the end of this. Picking it up from where it landed on his right, Urahara snapped it open and smiled at their guests, completely ignoring Ichigo's irritation just because he knew it would make the teen angrier.

"We have our orders." He felt Ichigo tense next to him, though unsure why he didn't make to comment.

"And I told you the verdict was overruled, there is nothing left for you to do here." A slight shift made Urahara glance at the woman once more, her black hair framing her face as she straightened and spoke, avoiding gazing into Ichigo's eyes. "You only have the power to overrule the council's orders, with agreement of the spirit king and captain commander. I stopped my pursuit because your vote must now be weighed against your father and the captain." He felt his face pale at the thought, though surly the old man didn't hate him enough to kill him? Glancing at Yamamoto he was slightly startled to find the man meeting his gaze before he turned away once more. He could feel Yoruichi shifting restlessly above, could practically see her claws digging into the wooden beam.

"Then let us vote," and the confidence in which Ichigo said that made him pause, realizing it was silly to worry. Ichigo was still Ichigo, and he and made a promise. "Overruled," the deep voice stilled the air as the woman snapped her head to the captain, frown marring her face. "In light of recent events it has come to our attention that Urahara Kisuke has been framed and wrongfully exiled. My experience with our prince brings me to believe that I can also trust his judgment." A small smile played on his lips as he brought his fan up to his face, hiding his mirth. Now if she argued, she would question Ichigo's judgment, not the best way to start off a relationship. "Good, now that we have his vote, return to the royal realm and tell me what the soul king has to say" the woman was shaking her head before Ichigo could finish. "I apologize denka, but we cannot leave you unattended." A sigh left Ichigo as he ran a hand through snowy white locks, purple eyes boring down on her. Urahara wasn't sure but, perhaps Ichigo didn't know how…intimidating his presence was. "I was unattended for years and- "

"Yeah and look at what happened!"

"Tenjiro!" The woman snapped, her eyes blazing as she stared the man down. "While I am in charge of this operation I will not have you disrespecting the prince in such a way! Mind your manners!" A scoff was all that escaped him as he glanced away, and Urahara could see the faint bruising and scratch marks that showed his bout with the goddess of flash. He let a small smirk play along his lips, it seemed the man was annoyed enough to begin with having probably drawn even with his beloved feline.

"Denka, I apologize to say but it was not the council who requested you return, but your father." Ah, that would be a problem. The king's word was law and the blonde doubted Ichigo would find another trick up his sleeve. "And if I refuse?" The answer hung in the air, clearly startling the other occupants in the room. Those who did not know Ichigo anyways. The woman's eyes narrowed, her hand falling to the sword on her hip, "My name is Senjumaru Shutara, and I will _not_ fail my king."

 **Author's note**

 **So here we have a clue to Ichigo's age. That's definitely going to have some influence on personality but maybe not in the way you think (if I'm good at this story making stuff anyways). I'm also not sure if mi going to do this Quincy arc in this I have been debating several routs to take though so fear not!**

 **Lots of explaining stuff still sorry for that but I need to create an AU here so this all can flow better later on.**

 **Any questions and I'll be happy to explain or answer, if it won't give you any spoilers of course! Thanks for reading!**

 **Ps. I may go back and tweak later, but don't worry it won't be anything totally altering.**


	4. Chapter 4

Ichigo studied the occupants of the room with a calm that was unusual to him. Or it would have been had his memories of the past not been revealed. "Shutara you _will_ unhand your Zanpaktou," he spoke with a confidence that he did not possess, but he didn't bother to examine the reasoning. He could feel his will mending into iron as he eyed the members of the royal guard, all of which had dropped a hand to their sword. Ichigo sat straight as he eyed Shutara, daring her to disobey him. For the first time that day, the woman hesitated at his order before finally relinquishing the grip on her sword, the others following her lead. "Why has the king requested an audience with me?" Because surely, they didn't expect him to go in blind? Perhaps a week ago, he would have charged in first and asked questions later but now he was more aware of the finer details of diplomacy and tactics. Least, what he managed to remember the best from his teachings. "That is not something I am able to answer, denka" her tone was stiff as she replied, refusing to meet his gaze. Ichigo narrowed his eyes, the purple a stark contrast against his white features. "If you wish for a peaceful end to this conversation, then some help would be appreciated. There is nothing I can prepare to negotiate for if I have no details." He could almost _feel_ Kisuke's surprise behind him as the room once again became silent. Shutara dipped her head and the golden half-moon she wore reflected the light brilliantly, effectively catching Ichigo's attention once more. "I understand, but I have no knowledge in the subject matter, the king usually does not see anyone." A silent sigh left him as he nodded in acceptance, white hair falling into his eyes as he did so. He believed her for he himself had only seen the king a handful of times, if that.

He looked back and caught Urahara's eye, nearly seeing the gears turn in the scientist's head as he began to scheme. He felt Yoruichi above, her tightly wound spiritual pressure would no longer be hidden from him ever again, no one's would. Moving his gaze to the left, Ichigo observed Yamamoto as he sat perfectly content, drinking his tea as if he weren't hosting a prince and the royal guard. He hadn't known it then, but Ichigo knew he liked the man even more now. The fiery reiatsu that he kept tightly coiled licked just beneath the man's skin, and Ichigo couldn't help but remember seeing it dance across youthful features. He paused and closed his eyes, willing the memories of the past away as he dropped his hand on Zangetsu for support. He was met with nothing but air. Eyes fluttering open, Ichigo glanced down at where his hand had missed the area where the hilt would have been had he ever sealed his Zanpaktou. A pang of loneliness gripped at his heart as he took in a shuddering breath.

Unwilling to let his emotions get the better of him he looked back up and was surprised to find that Nimaiya had moved closer and was studying Ichigo intensely. He hadn't heard the man move. "He's not gone, you know." The white-haired teen stilled, his eyes widening before narrowing in suspicion. Nimaiya, the creator of the current form of Zanpaktou, was a sneaky man no matter how extravagantly outrageous he seemed to be. "No part of your soul could ever be lost, simply changed or reabsorbed. For you, I bargain it's the later." Nimaiya paused and slid his glasses down so he could look him in the eye. "Should you come to the royal realm, I can reforge Zangetsu." Ichigo felt his heart skip a beat, his belly unwillingly filling with hope as he tried desperately to keep a cool head.

A hand on his left shoulder made him freeze before he quickly redirected the reiatsu beneath his skin to avoid the area. While training with Yamamoto they had theorized that, if one could reinforce and area with reiatsu than the opposite must also be true. It wasn't a fix all of course, and Ichigo was thankful that Urahara knew to keep his hand over his clothes no matter how much the scientist trusted him. "Is that a threat?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he tried to take in the meaning behind Kisuke's words. He hadn't seen it as one, unless… "Does that mean that you would be unwilling to forge the blade if the prince doesn't go with you?" Urahara knew Ichigo hated being called that, and unless he needed it for reason of tactics Ichigo was nearly positive that he wouldn't address him as such otherwise.

"Never!" Shutara shouted out, her eyes fierce as she glared at the man behind him. More specifically, the hand that Urahara had on his shoulder. "Oh, my apologies then, I suppose I found the wording…off." Ichigo needed to remember to take lessons from this man. His perceptiveness though was downright frightening. Ichigo glanced back at Nimaiya and took a moment to study him. Feeling eyes on him, he looked away from Urahara to meet Ichigo's gaze and quickly lowered his eyes as he nodded in his direction. The man _had_ meant it to come out that way.

"You will reforge Zangetsu," and Ichigo would hear no argument from it. If he had to be stern then so be it, he wasn't about to get tricked and walked all over as if he had no clue about anything. He had lived far longer than any of them, and though he had much to learn, he should at least be able to keep up with their schemes. Though it no longer felt right to use underhanded tactics and order people around, Ichigo knew there was a need. Mentally sending his mother an apology he squared his shoulders and refused to lift his gaze from Nimaiya until the man slowly nodded in acceptance. On his right, Ichigo watched as Shutara subtly clenched her fists before forcing herself to relax. "My prince, Nimaiya does require that you are with him when making the blade," she paused and braced herself, her dark eyes steeling. "His forge is in the Royal realm."

Ichigo felt Urahara remove his hand and he mentally sighed in relief, relaxing slightly now that he knew he wouldn't accidentally hurt his friend. "That is acceptable." Ichigo was willing to do just about anything to get his partner back, even if only in a physical form. He could no longer hear their voices and he knew that simply remaking the blade would not fix that. The sense of their presence however, was something that he hoped he would be able to once again feel. Looking over to the far left of the table he frowned as he watched Yamamoto continue to sip his tea, eyes closed and if Ichigo hadn't known, he would have thought the man asleep. A nagging voice in the back of his head told him this was customary. Long ago memories reinforced the idea. Yamamoto was considered below their station, he would only speak when spoken to. Ichigo frowned and looked away, finding it hard to fathom the idea of all that has changed. It felt horribly wrong thinking that way, but a part of himself knew it to be true.

"Very well then, at dusk we shall depart for the Royal realm." Because as badly as Ichigo wanted to have his blade reforged, there was a promise that he had to keep. Shutara glanced at Urahara before her eyes flickered back to Ichigo who smiled at her, knowing she had not missed the 'we'. She dipped her head in acceptance, "as you wish." Ichigo stood and glanced at Yamamoto, nodding his head at the ancient Shinigami he began for the door, beckoning Urahara to follow and knowing Yoruichi would as well.

Once the door closed with a gentle 'click' behind them he sighed in relief and offered Urahara a lazy smile, his purple eyes shining in mirth. "Quite a day, huh?" His only response was an eyeroll as the blonde tucked his fan back into his sleeve. They walked in silence from there, Yoruichi padding behind them. The long, winding hallways were mostly bare, and the dark wooden floor was polished perfectly under their feet. There were no windows here which was for the better considering his appearance wasn't exactly normal at the moment. "We haven't said it yet, but nothing changes, Ichigo." Said man paused and looked down, meeting Yoruichi's solemn gaze that she somehow managed to convey as a cat. A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he nodded down at her, appreciation shining through his eyes. "I'd hope not Yoruichi." She purred and approached him somewhat cautiously and Ichigo took the hint. Crouching down and decreasing the reiatsu to his right hand, he reached out and let her approach as he gently began to scratch behind her ear. "She hardly lets me do that," the blonde muttered under his breath. Urahara tilted his hat back and smirked down at Ichigo. "Now then, that's quite the hair you've got there!" Ichigo smiled sheepishly, feeling slightly guilty at his casual disposal of Urahara's invention. "No worries, I knew such a thing would happen considering it was _you_." Ichigo scowled even as he took the extra pair of bracelets.

"Ready?" Urahara nodded and braced himself by raising his reiatsu, gesturing for Yoruichi to stand near him. "Go." Ichigo didn't need to be told twice. Gradually he lowered his reiatsu from the plane that only he could feel, noting when Kisuke was able to feel the effect of it. The man fell to his knees and then to all fours, Yoruichi under him and doing the same, her belly against the floor. Just as it seemed that Urahara wouldn't be able to keep himself up any longer Ichigo slipped the band on when he could lower it no more and sighed in relief as most of the pressure was locked away, now able to fully bring it down and have it wither under his skin. Coughing brought his attention back to the blonde as he heard Yoruichi hiss and swipe at the man. "Yooooorrrrruuuuiiiccchiiiii!" He couldn't help himself, he laughed. The sight Urahara made with wide eyes and claw marks down his face was too much to contain. "Sorry about that geta-boshi," and he was. He didn't think someone as strong as Kisuke should have to be bent so low. Glancing back down Ichigo slipped on the other bracelet and watched as his skin began to take on a sun kissed tan. The locks of hair that hung in front of his face turned a vibrant orange and Ichigo smiled. This was something he was used to.

"Come, Ichigo." He looked up just as Urahara began to walk away once more, the man having already collected himself. With a final smile at Yoruichi, Ichigo followed suit, the silence between them comfortable as they padded down twisting hallways. It took a bit, but in the silence, he could hear the whispering of memories and almost see the visions that they made. It felt as if he had woken from a long dream and the feeling refused to fade even as he grew accustomed to the new routine. After such a long time repeating the same thing over and over again, a change of scenery was appreciated. He glanced at Kisuke who walked in front of him as he followed behind aimlessly and wondered what could have been. What would have happened if he failed at his initial mission. Would the man be dead? "This should do." Ichigo blinked and barely managed to stop in time before he ran into the shop keeper. Urahara was quick to step away though, aware of Ichigo's distracted state. "Sorry," he muttered under his breath as he turned to face the small room he had been lead to. With a smile, Urahara invited him in before closing the door behind him.

 **R_R**

Urahara shifted in his seat, leaning back and spreading his legs out slightly to get more comfortable. It made sense that Yamamoto, given his age, would have modern chairs in a few of his private guest rooms. Though proper, sometimes sitting on one's knees for hours didn't exactly scream comfort. Urahara let his gaze drift from the window on his right, it allowed only a single beam of light to shine through, casting the area in front of him in a golden hue, but otherwise the room was dark. Across from him he could see Ichigo gazing outside with a far-off expression. His orange hair was lit up brilliantly even in the dark room, managing to reflect the little sunlight that peeked through the window brightly. The rest of him was covered in shadows, the Shinigami shihakusho nearly blending into the darkness around him. Ichigo blinked and his purple orbs focused on him even as he absently noticed that it wasn't the sunlight that made them glow. It seemed his powers were kept simmering under the surface, forever reflecting into his eyes.

"There is much to discuss, Kisuke." Urahara paused and looked at Ichigo. _Really_ looked at him. His sun-kissed skin glowed with a healthy hue and his posture reflected his own. Urahara trailed his eyes back up and met his gaze once more, silently startled to find something he had not seen before. Ichigo's purple eyes seemed older, as if he had seen lifetimes worth of information. There was no cunning nor deceit, but neither was there the youthful innocence that Urahara had remembered seeing when he first taught him how to wield a sword. He furrowed his eyebrows as a distant memory came to him, when Ichigo had been younger and seeking his aid. It was then that he realized, Ichigo never held that shine of innocence. Not originally. What he had seen back then was his hope. Now though, it seemed as if the world weighed heavily on him.

He let out a sigh as he nodded his head, he knew the need of this conversation, but he dreaded it. There was much that Kisuke wanted to know and was scared to find out. "How do you feel, Ichigo?" Because really, what else could he say? Shutara had hinted at it, and Urahara was no fool. Ichigo was far, far older than him. Older than even the commander. Were it not for who he was, he was sure he could forget and pretend Ichigo really was just a teenager. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Urahara could not forget. But he also couldn't fathom the idea of Ichigo being so much older, it didn't fit the image of who he had come to know him as. Yes, he knew the teen had been alive for some time, but never would he have guessed in the thousands.

"Tired" and though it was said with a casualness that one would talk about the weather, Urahara could hear the bone deep exhaustion that seemed to linger on the word. Instead of acknowledging it though, he simply dipped his head in agreement. "And a little confused." Now, Urahara was at a loss. He wasn't really the type for these sorts of conversations, having avoided talking about even his own feelings most of the time. He pursed his lips and brought his gaze back to the window, watching the far-off branches sway ever so slightly in the gentle breeze. "The memories I assume?" He saw Ichigo nod in his peripheral and he let out a hum of acknowledgment. "They weren't made to come back at once. It was supposed to be more gradual, as you grew closer to old age. But," Urahara paused and glanced back at the teen who had yet to remove his gaze from the blonde. "The use of your powers, what you had available to you, sped up the process. The reiatsu gradually ate away at the seals." Ichigo looked away and a silent sigh of relief left him. He didn't know when his gaze had become unnerving.

"Thousands of years Kisuke," Ichigo murmured softly before his purple eyes were back on him. "Most of them, distant like dreams. Times when I was too young to really remember. Though I'd say at around the age of six, it begins to get clear." The blonde didn't miss the way Ichigo's eyes seemed to darken, nor the tightening of his grip on the chair. If his math was right, Urahara guessed that Ichigo had about 3 thousand years of more notable memories to sift through. So much could have happened during that time, and judging from how Ichigo's mood had shifted, most of it was not positive.

"You're too curious for your own good geta-boshi." The blonde blinked at the unexpected comment, had he shown his curiosity so easily? He was about to retort before he paused and a slow smile stretched across his lips. It saeemed that, Ichigo was still mostly his Ichigo. The one he had come to know through the last few years.

"I watched it all happen, you know." And once again Ichigo had Urahara's undivided attention as his grey eyes brewed with curiosity once more. A low chuckle left Ichigo as he let out an easy smile at his friend's antics. Some people never change.

"I'm sure we will have more time later, but," here Ichigo's eyes once again became unfocused as he concentrated on the distant memories of the past. "What I can say, is that they were part of my lessons, how man could come to be so great and terrible. How Yamamoto's predecessors began to turn the wheels of civilization and how he created the Gotei 13 in order to protect what he thought was worth protecting." He didn't know when he had stopped breathing, his focus was so intense on the words that Ichigo spoke that he had forgotten all else. Taking in a shuddering breath, Urahara felt goosebumps rise on his skin as he met Ichigo's eyes once more, the purple orbs sharp as they seemed to pierce his soul. "What do you remember the most?" He didn't know how he had found the words, but they were out before Kisuke could think them through. He thought that he had long ago gotten rid of his nervousness, but it seemed acceptable to him that Ichigo, in the state that he was currently in, brought it back. "Death," and Urahara regretted having ever asked. "The death of thousands of souls as they fought in meaningless wars, the deaths of those that taught me." A grim smile formed on Ichigo's face as he looked away from the blonde, instead fixating on the nearly unchanging scene of nature. "None will outlive me." And the meaning was as clear to Urahara as if it were a reflection of the moon on a still lake. Ichigo would forever watch those he cared for scatter away into reiatsu or wither back into ash. The revelation left a heavy weight in his chest as he brought his gaze to the floor, his hat casting his face in shadows as the room fell silent. There was nothing that he could say to comfort him, knowing that he too would die before Ichigo ever saw a grey hair in his orange locks.

"Let's go Urahara, there's someone we have to see." He latched onto the new information vigorously, not wanting to linger on the earlier topics. "And who might that be?" He stood and started for the door that Ichigo held open for him. "Someone that will be able to help us defeat the zero squad if anything were to happen. Someone who would be able to get you to safety in an unfamiliar place." The blonde watched as Ichigo continued on ahead, a strange sort of feeling filling his chest as he took in the meaning of his words. Ichigo paused, having noticed that he was no longer being followed and glanced back over his shoulder to meet Urahara's eyes that were now framed by furrowed brows. "If I cannot be there to protect you, then you will be safe from harm regardless." Ichigo turned back and he watched him walk away before spurring his legs into action, jogging to catch back up to him. The feeling in his chest only seemed to intensify at Ichigo's words and Urahara had a hard time naming the emotion. Certainly, there was gratitude, but there seemed to be more than that. "Don't worry," Ichigo cut off his train of thought. "You won't be curious for much longer."

* * *

 **Oh boy, so much explaining to do! Things are going to start to pick up from here though so thank you all for being patient! And sorry for the long delay in uploading, this chapter took hours and I'm sitting on the train with nothing to do but sleep and try and figure out how the heck I want this to be set up.**

 **I'm trying my hand at being more detailed and any help is appreciated! Sorry for any mistakes I missed! Chapters will be somewhat shorter now though, I'm not too sure about my audience right now so I figure shorter chapters will work for a bit.**

 **Also my "R_R" indicates a scene or POV change just in case it was missed.**

 **Reviews are appreciated 3**


End file.
